Originally Posted By: tom slick
The non-Americans need to realize that most of us drink coffee ..
It's more than tea or coffee - it's a cultural thing to use a jug. Lots of people drink coffee here, but rarely instant or drip.
Originally Posted By: expat
In the U.K. I used to have a Russell Hobbs 3kw Kettle. I could boil a quart of water faster
Yep, the standard UK plugs have a 13 amp fuse so 3kW is just at the limit at 230 VAC. We have a 10 amp limit per plug so 2.3kW.
Typically the Canadian Kettle is 1- 1.5 kw and cost $20- $80
they last until you don't like the look of it anymore (decades in my case)
I could not imagine life without one.
Originally Posted By: crinkles
Originally Posted By: brianl703
Originally Posted By: Kiwi_ME
A 2200 watt element built into the base (but not visible) boils water faster than can be done on my gas range.
You can't draw 2200 watts out of the standard 15 amp, 120V receptacles in the USA. 1800 watts is max, and if we apply the 80% rule then it drops to 1440 watts. (The 80% rule is that a circuit should not be loaded to more than 80% of the overcurrent protection's rating).
Perhaps this is why electric kettles are not common in the USA.
Originally Posted By: expat
In the U.K. I used to have a Russell Hobbs 3kw Kettle. I could boil a quart of water faster than many cars accelerate to 60
Russell Hobbs makes some excellent kettles, and they last a long, long time! I recently got a Philips stainless steel cordless kettle, after my last Russell Hobbs failed. Used that one for 13 years through, so I certainly got my money's worth.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
supposed to be 240V
Well, it's "supposed" to technically be 230 for "voltage harmonization" despite yourselves, NZ and the UK formerly being 240. The problem is 240 is still within the 230 +/-6% tolerance we are allowed (you're allowed +10%.) Every time I measure it it's 239 V.Wiki has good info.
Originally Posted By: Kiwi_ME
Originally Posted By: Shannow
supposed to be 240V
Well, it's "supposed" to technically be 230 for "voltage harmonization" despite yourselves, NZ and the UK formerly being 240. The problem is 240 is still within the 230 +/-6% tolerance we are allowed (you're allowed +10%.) Every time I measure it it's 239 V.Wiki has good info.
Ta for that, didn't know that we'd "changed", without changing so to speak.
Our 415 supplies in the station are usually at 460-470 depending on what the grid needs us to do outside.
240v outlets might also be the reason that Brits typically don't have any electrical outlets in their bathrooms. When my parents British friends came for a visit, they were shocked (figuratively, not literally) that all American bathrooms had electrical outlets.
Certainly before the invention and requirement of RCDs (residual current device or GFIs in NA) it would have been uncommon here too, but not anymore.
Same issue with a mains-pressure hot water tank - they are only found in new homes here and are pressure regulated. Quite common however are continuous flow gas hot water heaters which are allowed to run at full pressure.
In Oz, I've only ever lived one place without mains pressure hot water. I know that my current house had a gravity system at one place because I found it's drip tray in the roof.
All have had power points in the batroom, but there's rules where the power point can be with relation to bathcs and showers regarding ditance.